An Unknown Future
by mongo765
Summary: The future lies in the hands of Hiccup Haddock, the future heir to the Hooligan Tribe. Hiccup's quest to unite dragons and humans will challenge him unlike anything he has ever known; however, Hiccup is not alone in his endeavor. Astrid Hofferson shares his secret and together they must find a way to unite the two worlds of dragons and humans. Takes place after Romantic Flight.
1. Introduction

**Note: Just an idea for a story. I'm not sure if I will continue. Read and let me know what you think, maybe I will continue writing it!**

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Experiences make people who they are. They create an identity for any individual. Ones actions not only affect how other people look at him or her, but how they look at themselves.

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Out in the north sea stood a large island. The island was lush with vibrant greens in the summer and was frozen in ice and snow in the winter. This island was the largest in an archipelago. The island ranged from soft sandy beaches to large rocky cliffs. It contained a vast mountain in its center and was covered with vast forests. Along its shores dotted smaller islands and ancient grand arches of stone, thought to have been made by the gods themselves, that jutted out of the sea as if stuck into the ocean.

On the north face of the island lay a village. The inhabitants have endured centuries of hardships which have created a rigid social structure to match. Life on the island was tough and the inhabitants knew it. Their stubbornness, provided by traditions dating back centuries. Now the tide has begins to turn from these ancient traditions as a new age approaches.

A thin boy lay in his bed, in a house that was large compared to most in the village The boy had little muscular build, in fact he was rather scrawny for his age. This boy's name was Hiccup and the village of which he resided in was Berk. After the events of the past few days the boy was surprised at how his reputation has grown for the better. Just a week ago he had been the town fool, since he was prone to various sort of accidents. Now he was not fully accustomed to his new status.

He hated it.

For all his life he has tried to be accepted by his village and his father. Now with it all happening so fast he has become frustrated. Frustrated that it is happening even with all that is going on. It is more of an inconvenience to him.

He lives a lie. A lie to his tribe, but more promptly, a lie to his father.

After his father's miraculous return, the boy now struggles to keep his secret. Learning so much has proven to contradict everything the village knew about the beasts.

The only person he has come to trust is Astrid. She has come to understand that the beasts are not a great threat as everyone thought. Her coming to light on this subject before anyone else proves furthermore to Hiccup that he is right about dragons.

She was warrior. Trained in the ring to fight. To fight the beasts that have terrorized the village for so long.

The dragons have been part of Berk ever since their ancestors arrived on its shore. They may even have been a nuisance before then, but all the boy knew was the truth. The truth that dragons were not inherently evil. In fact he knew the beasts were capable of feelings of compassion and understanding.

As Astrid began to further her understanding of this he felt a sense of hope for the village, a hope that they might overcome their beliefs; however, he is still doubtful. Now he must plan for the future.

The future for himself, the future for his village, and the future for Toothless.

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 **Note: I think I will write some more. Let me know what you think!**


	2. Chapter 1

**Note: Ok before the story get kicked off I got a few things to say:**

 **1\. Since it seems like there's quite a bit of interest in this story I decided to continue.**

 **2\. This story starts the day after Hiccup and Astrid's romantic flight.**

 **3\. Let me know what you think about this story. I really appreciate feedback, it really goes a long way towards helping the story get better.**

 **4\. And finally I have to say this. I DO NOT OWN HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON! All rights go to Dreamworks and the creators, respectively.**

 **Now lets begin!**

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Hiccup woke with a start. He took a long glance around his room before slowly pulling his aching body out of bed. His flights with Toothless could work wonders on his body.

The room was lit only by the faint light of a candle next to his bed. The floorboards soon began to creak beneath him as he slowly crept across the room.

He grabbed a few of his belongings and put on his old, tattered, soggy boots. Then, with one final look, he started the descent from his room..

Hiccup quickly noticed his father making breakfast over the low burning fire that sat in the center of the house. Stoick noticed Hiccup entering the room as well and smiled, stood up, and spoke, "Well if it isn't the champion of Berk himself," his father said proudly. He walked over to Hiccup and gave him a pat on the shoulder.

Hiccup was not used to this Stoick. The usual Stoick would be out of the house by now, helping various people throughout the village and attending to his chiefly duties. Hiccup was unaccustomed this Stoick. A happy Stoick, a Stoick who actually was there for him, a Stoick filled with hope and promise for his son.

Hiccup detested this new Stoick. He disliked him because deep down he knew the only reason Stoick was proud of him was for his performance in the ring. Stoick actually believed that Hiccup could kill the dragon. He thought that his son was finally going to become a real viking.

His father never accepted Hiccup for who he was. Stoick could not see the value in Hiccup's inventions. He would often overlook Hiccup's effort and scold him for "making a mess".

Hiccup just wanted his father to appreciate him for who he really was. For 15 years Hiccup had a father who often saw him as a disappointment. Now not only was his father proud of him, but his entire village.

Hiccup wanted to run away from it all. He almost had. If it wasn't for Astrid, Hiccup would be on the other side of the Archipelago with Toothless. Astrid was the only person Hiccup could trust. He was confident that she would be on his side. Astrid saw the true side of dragons. She saw the potential of befriending them. Now Hiccup had to show the entire village.

"You ready to kill your first dragon?" his father asked. Before, Hiccup would have said yes. He would have desperately wanted to be a viking, to fit in with everyone else, but now everything was different.

Hiccup thought of what to say. He could tell his dad the truth. He had thought about it before, but he knew it would not end well. Telling the truth would put Toothless in danger and Hiccup would never do that. Telling the truth was out of the question.

He needed to show the village the true nature of dragons. If could tame one in the ring, in front of the entire village, it could go greatly towards helping the village realize what dragons can really be like.

Stoick turned and resumed to tending the breakfast. As he did so Hiccup replied," Yeah, I guess," he paused for a second, "Dad… you need to promise me that no matter what happens in the ring, you will not interfere. I...I need the village to see..to see…", he paused for another second before finding the right words, "to see my style!"

Stoick looked at him with a confused glare. "You know, my fighting style. It's a bit different, but will definitely work."

His father's face lit up with a smile as he let out some chuckles. "No need to worry son. You'll be fine. Oh, here," his father says as he walks over to get the breakfast he prepared for Hiccup, "you better eat up, you got a big day ahead of you," Stoick said as he handed Hiccup a plate with some eggs and meat.

Hiccup took the plate. "Thanks, dad," Hiccup said as he walked over to the table to eat. He ate his meal rather quickly, and when he was finished he stood up and walked over to the door. "I'm going out for awhile," he said to his father.

Stoick looked up from the fire, "Ok, remember to be at the arena a little after noon." Hiccup acknowledged his father and walked out of the house.

The cool summer breeze washed over Hiccup's face as soon as he stepped outside of his house. The blinding sun stood just over the ocean and the sky was filled with scattered clouds of all shapes and sizes.

Many of the vikings were already up and about for their morning chores, including Gobber who could be heard hammering away in the forge. The distant sound of the waves crashing against the rocky cliff faces was carried by the cool wind for all in the village to hear. It was looking to be a promising day.

Hiccup made his way towards the edge of the village. He would slip away and meet Astrid at the cove. He had to see Toothless and discuss his plan with Astrid before he went into the ring. Some people shot glances his way, most being friendly. Hiccup got the occasional, "Good luck," or "Knock 'Em dead" from various people walking past.

Hiccup reached the edge of the forest and made sure no one was watching him when he finally entered. He quickly made his way through the labyrinth of trees and mossy rocks. The forest was still damp from the rainstorms that washed over Berk a few days ago. The forest was dim, save the occasional break in the canopy that allowed sunlight to shine on the forest floor and provide life to various types of grasses.

After walking a ways, Hiccup finally made it to the cove. Hiccup spotted Toothless on the other end. He appeared to be sleeping, but Hiccup knew better, and sure enough as soon as Hiccup entered the cove, Toothless's ears popped up and he quickly ran over to Hiccup.

Toothless let out a low, seemingly energetic, hum. Hiccup understood what the dragon wanted. "Not now bud, we can't go flying yet," Hiccup said to the excited dragon.

Toothless, seeming to understand, went back to his previous spot to lay down. Hiccup sat on a rock next to the dragon, and pulled out his sketchbook to begin drawing toothless for the tenth time. Hiccup was never the best drawer, but compared to everyone else on Berk, he was very good.

After waiting for what seemed like a hour, Hiccup finally saw Astrid appear in the cove. As soon as she entered, Toothless's head shot up, as he began to watch her intensely. Astrid appeared a little hesitant, but quickly accepted the dragon's presence.

"Hey Hiccup," she said as she walked over to him.

"Hi Astrid," Hiccup replied.

She took a seat next to him and looked at his drawing. "That's pretty good, where did you learn to draw like that?" she asked.

Hiccup closed his sketchbook and replied, "I guess I just always have had a knack for it. I would always draw during my free time at the forge. Guess it's just one of my hobbies."

Hiccup looked at Astrid and saw her give him a smile.

"So what are you going to do about the dragon?" Astrid asked, wanting to know what his plan was going to be.

Hiccup stood up and walked over to Toothless. "I have an idea, but I don't know if it will end well. Killing the dragon is definitely out of the question. So I think I am going to try and tame it," Hiccup told Astrid as began to pace in front of her.

Astrid thought over his plan for a second. Many things could go wrong. Stoick and the others may interfere before Hiccup gets a chance to show them, or even worse Hiccup might not be able to tame the dragon and instead get himself injured or killed.

"You sure Hiccup, it could be very dangerous," Astrid told him, sounding concerned and skeptical of his plan.

Hiccup stopped pacing and turned towards her. "I have to try Astrid. This may be the best chance I have to stop this. Stop this wasteful feud between dragons and vikings. If I have a chance to finally end all this once and for all, shouldn't I at least try," Hiccup told her, trying to get her to understand his reasoning.

Astrid stood up and replied, "I get that, but is it really worth your life?"

Hiccup sat down next to Toothless and began to scratch the area behind his ear. "Yes Astrid. This is a chance to make our future better. To end this war once and for all," Hiccup finished confidently.

"Okay. Just promise me that you'll watch yourself in there," she said. Hiccup stopped scratching Toothless and stood up. He began to walk closer to Astrid.

"I will. I have to do this Astrid. Not only for our village, but for Toothless and all the other dragons out there," Hiccup said as he waved his hands gesturing towards the sky.

"Ok, I understand," Astrid said as she finally began to understand Hiccups need to try and end the war. She didn't want to see Hiccup get killed, but understood his motives. The dragons were amazing creatures and if the time has come to show the world the truth about these creatures, then so be it.

"Don't you need to be at the arena a little after noon?" Astrid asked as she looked up towards the sun.

Hiccup's eyes opened wide in shock. It was noon now, the village would be gathering at the arena to hear his father give a speech. After that the main event would take place.

"Guess I gotta get going, meet you at the arena?" Hiccup asked as he prepared to leave.

Astrid quickly replied, "I guess I'll see you there. Good luck and make sure you're careful."

Hiccup gave Toothless one last scratch behind the ear and made his way towards the exit, which elicited a groan from Toothless. Astrid watched as the boy began to make his way up the path that led out of the cove, until he was finally out of sight.

Hiccup ran through the forest, praying that he would not be late. He was still very nervous and was having his doubts. He would have to come face to face with a dragon and try to tame it in front of an entire village that wanted him to kill it. Even with the odds against him Hiccup was determined to face the future, because as soon as he stepped into the ring, there was no going back.

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 **Note: And so goes the first chapter. I will probably go back and add/change a few things, so let me know what you think, love to get feedback!**


	3. Chapter 2

**Note: Wow, seems there is a lot of interest in the story. I am defiantly going to continue. This chapter is about the length each chapter will be, so enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, all right belong to Dreamworks.**

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It was colder than usual for summer. A vast wind swept across the ocean causing huge waves to form and crash against the massive jagged cliffs that surrounded Berk. There was a large mass of clouds approaching from the direction the wind was blowing, but other than those, the sky was clear, allowing for the suns rays to pierce through the cool winds and warm the surface below.

At the entrance of the arena stood a boy. The boy was determined to accomplish his task and show the village who he really was. After the boy's father finished giving a speech he went down to the boy before the fight started.

After giving the boy a few words of encouragement his father went to sit in his seat and await the upcoming fight. The boy's father was convinced that his boy would become a man. That his boy would be the next chief of Berk.

After waiting for a few more minutes the boy finally entered the ring. He looked up and saw the hundreds of eyes that were staring at him, hungrily craving the event that was about to take place.

The boy walked up to a rack of weapons that was placed in the center of the ring. He picked out a newly sharpened axe and colorful shield. After adjusting the shield onto his arm the boy singled that he was ready.

There was the odd cheer of encouragement from the crowd as the gate began to lift. The anticipation continued to build as the gate's lock continued to lift. The air was still for the final few seconds until the gate finally opened and from it came a Monstrous Nightmare. The dragon quickly engulfed itself in flames and let out a massive roar.

The boy immediately charged, but had to sidestep when the beast let out its flame. He kept running, but was flung back by the beast's tail. The boy quickly recovered and looked up to see the dragon climbing the ceiling of the arena. The dragon stopped above the boy and let itself fall. The dragon intended to land on top of the boy and finish him, but was unable to do so as the boy somersaulted out of the way just in time.

The dragon turned towards the boy and began to let out the rest of its flame, but the boy outran the stream and turned to face the dragon when it finally ran out.

"You're all out," the boy said as he began to charge the beast again. This time the dragon also charged and the two met violently. The boy managed to stick the beast with his axe, but was immediately thrown away upon doing so.

The boys axe was dripping with dragon blood, but he did not stop there. The boy immediately recovered and charged the beast again. As he charged the dragon backed into a corner of the arena, clearly wounded by the strike the landed just in front of the wing and below the neck.

This was the boy's chance to finish it. After today he would have the highest status in the village. He would be one step closer to becoming chief. He would also become the most respected person on the island.

However, the boy did not think of any these things. His attention was focused on one thing and one thing only, the mortal enemy of his village. The dragon barely had time to retaliate, with one quick blow to the neck the dragon was dead.

The crowd broke into cheers and the boy ripped his axe from the beast. He planted one foot on its head and raised his axe in victory. The crowd began to cheer his name.

From that day forward, Stoick the Vast was the most renowned and respected warrior on Berk.

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Hiccup stood in the same spot his father had so many years ago. His father was in the middle of giving a speech about how proud he was of him. Hiccup had a remote feeling of guilt, why, he did not know. He had not been lying to his father, he only withheld the truth.

His father finished the speech and began to walk to his seat, hoping to see his son finally become a viking. As Hiccup watched his father take his seat he felt another presence behind him.

"You better watch yourself in there," Astrid said behind him. Hiccup turned around and saw her staring at him. "You don't have to do this," she continued.

Hiccup turned and walked towards the gate saying, "I have to do this Astrid. Not only for the village, but for myself."

His father took his seat and signaled for the gate to be opened. Hiccup took one deep breath and entered the arena. Astrid looked on with glaring eyes, hoping everything would be okay, but ready in case things did got wrong.

Hiccup turned in a full circle and saw the immense amount of spectators. He saw his father looking at him with hungry eyes, anticipating a good fight. Hiccup walked towards the center and analyzed the weapon rack.

There were all sorts of weapons laid out. Hiccup could see axes, swords, maces, knives, and shields, lots of shields. Hiccup made up his mind and grabbed a shield and knife. Even though he would not need it for his task, he needed to assure the vikings that he was ready.

After grabbing his weapons he singled for the door to be opened. The air in the arena fell utterly silent as the anticipation began to build.

After a few moments a monstrous nightmare engulfed in flame blasted through the door and climbed around the arena, shooting fire at some of the vikings. After settling down a bit the dragon began to focus on Hiccup.

The dragon dropped down from the wall and started to approach the boy, expecting retaliation. Hiccup backed up as the dragon approached. The crowd looked on with hushed mouths and focused eyes.

The crowd was stunned to see Hiccup drop his shield and knife. Stoick was slightly worried, but took heed to the words his son had told him earlier.

"Should we stop the fight Stoick?" Gobber asked from his side.

"No, but be ready," Stoick said. He was starting to have a little doubt that his son would succeed.

Hiccup took off his helmet and threw it to the ground. "I'm not one of them," he said, ushering some gasps from the crowd.

"What's he doing?" Stoick asked rhetorically. Doubt was building evermore in his mind.

Hiccup extended his hands towards the dragon in a friendly gesture. The whispers among the crowd continued to build, until they were silenced by Hiccup's voice. "Dragons are not what we think they are. We don't have to fight them, we can train them," he said as the last few meters between the dragon and the boy closed. Hiccup turned his head away and awaited the dragon's touch.

"Stop the fight," Stoick said blantly to Gobber. Gobber not realizing what the chief said comminuted to look upon the boy in astonishment. Never before had any of them seen something so daring, so different, and vikings were not people to easily accept change.

Hiccup continued to look away until the dragon finally made contact with Hiccup's hand. Hiccup turned and made eye contact with the dragon, an understanding forming between the two.

Stoick stood up from his chair and yelled, "Stop the fight. Now!" A few vikings ran towards the entrance and ran past Astrid. Meanwhile Hiccup climbed on top of the dragon and yelled for the village to hear, "See. We don't have to fight dragons." Unfortunately for Hiccup the words fell flat for much of the village. A group of vikings stormed in, weapons raised and ready.

Not wanting to cause conflict, Hiccup stepped down from the dragon. "Don't hurt him," he said, but the vikings surrounded the dragon as soon as he disembarked. They quickly herded the dragon back into its cage and locked the door.

The crowd became loud as they tried to decide what just happened. Hiccup looked towards Astrid and gave her a smile, it could have gone a lot worse. Then Hiccup's smile completely disappeared as Stoick marched down the ramp into the arena.

"Home, Now!" Stoick instructed to Hiccup. Hiccup was stunned, he did not expect his father to be so angry.

"But dad…" Hiccup was quickly cut off.

"Now Hiccup," he stated again, the anger clearly expressed with his tone.

Hiccup walked out of the arena and was greeted by the one friendly face in the village. "So, what do you think?" Astrid asked Hiccup. They started walking together.

"Well, it could have gone worse," Hiccup said. They quickly walked away from the arena, trying to avoid the disapproval in many of the villagers eyes. Not all of the village was disappointed with Hiccup. There was a good sized group that realized what Hiccup's demonstration had proven, but most still did not agree.

"Yeah, your father is not happy is he?" she asked, clearly knowing the answer.

"Urg, what am I going to do. I need him to understand, or this was all for nothing. No matter what happens, he can not find out about Toothless," Hiccup said. He could only imagine what would happen to Toothless if his father found out.

"Why not?" Astrid asked.

"What?" Hiccup replied, taken aback by her question.

"Well, why not show Toothless to your dad and make him understand. Your father won't be able to find him, just tell your father the truth Hiccup." Astrid's advice was unexpected, but made sense. Perhaps his father would understand if he told him everything.

"I don't know Astrid, it's still putting Toothless at risk," Hiccup paused for a moment, "Alright I'll think about it," he finished as they entered the village.

"Okay. By the way, I'm glad you're still in one piece," she said as she began to walk towards her house.

"Wait Astrid," Hiccup said as he caught up to her. "You'll still make sure Toothless is okay if anything goes wrong, right?" he asked.

Astrid replied, "Yeah, of course. Good luck with your father Hiccup. See you around."

The two parted ways. Astrid towards her house and Hiccup towards his. Hiccup had no idea what his father would say. He was in trouble, that much he knew. Maybe there was still a chance that he could convince his father, or maybe his father would never change.

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 **Note: Any way I can improve, let me know. Constructive feedback is always appreciated!**


	4. Chapter 3

**Note: Thanks to everyone who actually likes this story. I am very surprised, and grateful, for your support. I will defiantly be continuing this story. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I never have and never will own How to Train Your Dragon. (also have no intention, that would be a lot of paperwork ;)**

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Hiccup sat at a desk in his room. He had lit a set of candles to provide him enough light in his room to draw. Drawing was one thing Hiccup liked. Sometimes his mindless scribbles could lead to an idea, which in turn, led to an invention.

He had made many different contraptions. Some worked well for him, while others fell short of their desired result. No one ever showed much interest in his inventions, with the exception of Gobber.

He always had an appreciation for the boys creative ability. Gobber may not have shown it much, but he was quite fond of the boy.

Hiccup stopped drawing on the paper that was situated in front of him and began to play with his pencil. He was anticipating his father's arrival, and not in a good way. Much of his future hinged on the decision Stoick would make.

Would he actually listen to Hiccup? Would he start to realize the benefits of befriending dragons? Or would Stoick stick with the traditional viking ways? Hiccup knew that the later was the most likely, but a small part of him believed that he could be convinced. All Hiccup could do now, was try.

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Stoick and Gobber were talking in the forge, its last light dwindling as the sun began to set. Stoick had just finished taking care of Hiccup's "mess", which mostly involved answering the villagers questions and assuring them that everything was fine.

Stoick did not know what to make of the whole ordeal. At first he had been outraged. He had expected his son to kill the dragon, not get on top of it and try to show that dragons were good.

How could he have done that? Show kindness to the very creatures that had killed so many vikings, even his mother. At first Stoick had thought that Hiccup had betrayed the village, but then he started calm down and think more about the whole thing.

Hiccup showed a keen knowledge of the beasts. He could tame them and it seemed he could even ride them. If Hiccup could truly control the dragons, then it might prove beneficial to use them to their advantage.

Even with this realization Stoick still did not know how or where Hiccup could have learned so much about the dragons.

"You need to talk to him Stoick," Gobber said as Stoick got lost in thought. Stoick leaned against a wall of the forge, and upon hearing Gobber, moved from his position and started to walk across the forge.

"It doesn't make sense Gobber. I mean, how? How could he do that," Stoick said gesturing towards the arena as he walked. "After all these years I finally start to think he's becoming one of us, and then he pulls this. What is he trying to prove?" Stoick finished, slamming his fists on a table in the forge.

Gobber walked over to his friend. " I don't know either Stoick, but if I were you, I would talk to him. At least hear him out, he deserves that much," Gobber said trying to be less harsh on Hiccup.

Stoick walked towards the entrance and stopped just before leaving. "Your right... He better have a good explanation for this," Stoick finished. He then began his short walk through the village towards his home.

All Gobber could do was look on as the chief briskly walked towards his home.

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Stoick entered the house and found it silent. The fire that had been burning brightly earlier was now a smoldering pile of ashes. Stoick walked over to the stairs that led up to Hiccup's room. After taking a moment to prepare himself Stoick called for his son.

Upon hearing his father call him, Hiccup hesitantly stood up from his desk and slowly made his way downstairs.

When Hiccup first saw his father he could see the conflict in his eyes. Stoick was torn between viking traditions and the last of his family. Stoick knew that if things went per tradition, there would be a gathering of the village council in the great hall, but Stoick wanted to hear his sons reasoning before the obvious decision to banish him. Stoick would make sure his son was banished if it came to it.

"Hi, uh,..hi dad," Hiccup stammered as began to walk down the stairs. Hiccup's father continued to stare at him in silence.

"Take a seat Hiccup," his father said as he began to move towards the chairs around the smoldering fire. Hiccup took his father's silence as a good sign, at least he wasn't outright angry with him.

His father began as soon as Hiccup took his seat. "Tell me Hiccup. Why would you do something so stupid? Who in their right mind would ride a dragon?" Stoick asked his son.

Hiccup was slightly relieved. This was not the Stoick that Hiccup expected. Hiccup replied choosing his words very carefully, "I needed to show the village dad. I learned that dragons can be trained. Fighting them isn't our only option."

Hiccup waited for his dad to reply. "How do you know this?" his father asked stoically.

This was the part that Hiccup was worried about, telling his father about Toothless. "Well, I found out first hand. I found a dragon and I… I've been training it over that past week or so," Hiccup replied.

His father continued to look on, but became more investigative. "What dragon?" his father continued.

Hiccup hesitated for a second and decided to let out his whole story. "Well, you remember during the last dragon raid, when I claimed that I shot down a Nightfury?" Hiccup asked his father, trying to make him recall the embarrassing event.

"Aye," his father replied, eager to hear more.

"Well it turns out I actually did hit it. I found him in the woods all tied up and injured. I had him at my mercy, but I decided not to kill him." His father looked on with suspicion. He would have killed the dragon in a heartbeat. "Instead of killing the dragon I set it free. Upon doing so I was immediately at the dragon's mercy. It could have easily killed me, but it also decided to spare my life."

Stoick was intrigued by the story so far. If Hiccup was telling the truth, then the common rationale behind dragons was false, but his account still did not explain why the dragons attacked Berk in the first place.

"So if the dragon spared your life, then why is Berk constantly attacked by them?" Stoick asked skeptically.

"I'll get to that soon," Hiccup replied. He then continued his story. "I found the dragon again in the woods, it was injured and could not fly. I felt bad for the dragon since I caused its predicament," Stoick's stare towards Hiccup hardened upon hearing these words, but Hiccup ignored it and continued, "so I brought him some fish and we suddenly had an understanding for each other. I did not stop there though. I used my skills in the forge and made him a new tail. With this new tail he was able to fly with my help. During all this though, I was also learning all sorts of thing about dragons. I was applying everything I had learned from the dragon to the dragon training. That is how everyone though I was really good."

"After I worked out a mechanism that allowed me to control Toothless's tail-fin, we began to fly."

Hiccup was suddenly interrupted by his father for the first time that evening, "Toothless?" he asked.

Hiccup realized he had not told his father the Nightfury's name. "Yeah, Toothless. That's what I named him, the Nightfury that is." Upon replying to his father Hiccup received silence, which he assumed was permission to continue.

"So upon being chosen as the one to kill the dragon in the arena, I made a rash decision to leave, and I would have too, if it wasn't for Astrid." As Hiccup mentioned her he realized that she could get in trouble as well for being involved. Hiccup was quick to react. "Dad, whatever you do, don't punish Astrid. I'll take full responsibility."

Stoick spoke up, "This is about you Hiccup. Not Astrid. She'll be left out of this." he finished and gestured for Hiccup to continue.

"Okay, so Astrid found out about Toothless and was going to tell the whole village so Toothless and I sort of, well kind of…" Hiccup paused for a second, "Kidnapped her."

Stoick showed some surprise on his face. His son was able to kidnap Astrid Hofferson, albeit he probably had a Nightfury, but it surprised him none the less.

"So Toothless and I flew her around the island. The night Astrid saw the good side of dragons and she now understands their true nature. That night though, we found out the true reason for the dragon attacks on Berk. Toothless led us to their island and their we discovered their queen. It was as big as a mountain from what we could make out, and on top of that, she was getting all the dragons to feed her. The dragons themselves only eat fish for the most part. The only reason they attack us, is to feed the queen."

Stoick was now very intrigued. He could now see a possible solution to their whole predicament, but there was still a part of him that wanted to disregard everything Hiccup had said. For if Stoick listened to Hiccup, it would mean a drastic change for the whole village.

"So that's it. That's why I did what I did in the ring. I just wanted you, and the village, to understand the true nature of dragons. Yes they are dangerous, but there is so much more to them then even I know," Hiccup finished and remained silent.

They sat there in silence for what seemed to be a minute. Then the silence was finally broken by his father's deep voice. "Show me," he said.

Hiccup was surprised, "What did you say?" he asked.

Stoick repeated, "If what you say is true, then I want you to show me your dragon. No one else has to know right now, and I assume you want to bring Astrid as well."

Hiccup had no words. This was not what he expected. "Okay, but you can't bring any weapons. I can't risk Toothless getting hurt, you'll promise me that right? That Toothless won't get hurt," Hiccup asked his father.

Stoick let out a small chuckle, "There'll be nothing to worry about, so long as that dragon does not attack me," he said standing up.

Hiccup stood up as well and Stoick spoke again, "You better get Astrid, I'll be waiting here for you two."

Hiccup ran to the door and before leaving said, "Thanks dad, you won't regret it,"

Hiccup ran outside to fetch Astrid. Stoick walked towards the back of the house to grab some more wood for the fire. "I hope not, for both of our sakes."

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 **Note: Here we see a little more reasonable side of Stoick. Also, things seem like there going well right. Yeah, well we'll see how long that lasts ;) Let me know what you think of the story so far. I love getting feedback!**


	5. Chapter 4

**I finally have a great idea going for the story, and I will say, things will begin to pick up soon. Thanks to everyone who reads this, I'm going to be spending more time on this from now on, so enjoy!**

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Dusk was upon the sky as Hiccup, Astrid, and Stoick walked towards the cove. Hiccup was in the lead, followed by Astrid, and together they led the way for Stoick. Hiccup kept a close eye on his father. He still wasn't sure if he was 100% trustworthy.

The forest soon began to clear up and Hiccup could tell that they were close. He looked ahead and saw the light coming through the opening above the cove. The sky was filled with vibrant pinks and oranges as the sun slowly began to disappear below the horizon. The forest was darker due to the thick canopy overhead, which made the cove easily identifiable to the group.

"We're here," Hiccup told Stoick. Stoick looked towards the cove, but could not see into it. He was about to speak up, but was cut off by Hiccup.

"This way," he said as he motioned with his hand to follow. Stoick looked around, still suspicious of the place. He was on edge. He knew that there was a dragon near, and not just any dragon, a Nightfury. He could not afford to let his guard down.

Stoick started lagging behind because of his attentiveness and Astrid used the chance to quickly whisperer to Hiccup, "What are you going to do? You do know that Stoick is one of the most notorious dragon killers on Berk. You're being very risky Hiccup," she finished.

Hiccup stopped, partially to wait for his father to catch up and partially to answer Astrid's question. "Like I said Astrid, if vikings are ever to stop fighting dragons, we need my dad to be on our side. This is the best chance we have to convince him," Hiccup finished as Stoick rounded the corner of the small and narrow opening that led into the cove.

"How do you both fit through here?" Stoick rhetorically asked as he squeezed through the final opening. They were now all situated behind some rocks, the last obstacle separating them from the opening of the cove was a wooden shield that was currently stuck between a few of the rocks.

Hiccup decided to give his father a few instructions before proceeding. "Okay, I'm going to go out to Toothless first. You two come out when I give you the signal. Oh, and dad. Make sure to stay with Astrid. Toothless doesn't know who you are yet, so he may be a bit defensive." Stoick held his stoic stare, but gave an affirming nod.

Hiccup proceeded, ducking underneath the shield, and entered the clearing. He immediately identified Toothless on the other side of the lake. His ears shot up and he excitedly ran over to Hiccup.

"Hey bud," Hiccup said cheerfully as Toothless began rubbing his head against Hiccup's side. Hiccup could tell that he really wanted to fly, it had been over a day and the dragon was restless. "Yeah, I know. We'll fly later, but right now I have someone I want you to meet."

Toothless looked at Hiccup with a confused stare. Hiccup turned towards the entrance and Toothless, for the first time, saw the two newcomers. He easily recognized Astrid, but had no recollection of the man next to her. Toothless began to tense up upon seeing the new bulky man.

Hiccup quickly recognized this and began to calm him down. "Hey, it's okay bud. He's not going to hurt you," Hiccup said staring intently at Stoick, almost as if he was talking to him rather than Toothless.

Toothless looked up at Hiccup with concern, but quickly brought his attention back to Stoick and Astrid. Upon hearing Hiccup's words, Toothless began to loosen up. Hiccup could see that Toothless was still uncomfortable, but noticed him back off a bit.

"He won't hurt any of us bud, he just wants to meet you," Hiccup said trying to calm Toothless down.

Hiccup motioned for his father to start his approach. "Slowly dad, you don't want to startle him," Hiccup warned.

Astrid gave the chief an encouraging gesture, and he slowly began to approach the dragon. Everything in Stoick's mind was screaming at him to either run or fight the beast, but so far he had seen no signs of hostility from the dragon. Maybe Hiccup was telling the truth after all.

"Alright Toothless, it's okay," Hiccup noticed Toothless tensing up again. "Put your hand out dad, slowly," Hiccup quickly instructed.

Stoick continued to slowly approach the dragon, but now he held his hand out in front of him. He looked onto dragon. He could see its large, seemingly yellowish, eyes stare back at him. He had never seen a Nightfury before, and he was stunned to see the saddle that sat on its back. Hiccup must be riding the dragon. Somewhere in the deep recesses of Stoick's mind, he could imagine riding a dragon. Feeling the vast wind flying past him as he soared into the heavens, but for now, Stoick's mind was concentrated on the situation at hand.

He could see the dragon continuing to tense up, and Hiccup noticed it as well, giving his father further instructions. "Don't look at him dad, you need to show that he can trust you."

Stoick was skeptical, "How is that suppose to show trust?"

Toothless began to growl.

"Just do it," Hiccup instructed sounding very concerned.

Stoick let out a annoyed sigh and turned his head away from the dragon. Toothless stopped his deep growling and looked on with curiosity. It was one thing for Hiccup to do this, but he had not expected a bulky viking to be courteous to him.

Stoick was now only a few steps away from Toothless and the dragon seemed to be okay with it. "Okay dad, a little closer, but wait for Toothless to close the gap," Hiccup told his father.

Stoick took a few more steps and waited. He held his breath in silence for what appeared to be minutes. He held still, waiting to see if Hiccup would say anything more. Stoick soon began to grow impatent, "Am I just supp…" He was suddenly cut off by the scaly texture of Toothless's forehead in his palm.

Hiccup stood back. It had actually worked. Stoick opened his eyes and saw the dragon before him. "Wha…" Stoick was speechless. Everything he had known about dragons was now null and void. The dragon had shown something to Stoick that he had never thought existed.

Toothless stood back, but Stoick remained where he stood, locked in place by shock. Hiccup walked over to Toothless and gave him a scratch behind the ear. "Good job bud," he said quietly.

Astrid ran up behind Stoick. "You did it. I would never have thought," she said sounding impressed.

Hiccup walked over to Stoick with Toothless in tow. "So?" he asked. Hoping that his father's mind was changed.

"I...I mean..How?" Stoick stammered. It wasn't often that his father was left speechless.  
Hiccup quickly replied, "Can you see now? They're not what we thought, there's so much more to them than we ever knew."

Stoick glanced over at Toothless, his mind made up. His face turned into a scowl again "This leaves more questions than answers Hiccup. Aye, I see what you mean." Stoick paused for a moment and turned to Hiccup. "Is there anything else I should know?" he asked.

Hiccup looked up to his father. He may as well try it now that Stoick was more open. "Well, yes, there's one more thing, but I don't know if you're going to like it," Hiccup responded.

Astrid's face lit up. She knew exactly what Hiccup was talking about.

Stoick looked suspiciously at Hiccup. He saw him walk over to Toothless and prepare the saddle. Stoick was taken aback again, there was no way.

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 **I think we all know what's about to happen. ;)**

 **So it took me awhile to write this chapter, not necessarily because it was hard, but mostly because I didn't know where I was going with this story. Now I have a pretty good idea of where this story is going to go and I am looking forward to writing more in the future.**

 **So now with that out of the way, what do you think of the story so far? Any suggestion for how I can make it better? Let me know what you think, constructive feedback is always greatly appreciated.**


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